Multiple copy typewriting machine



I June 19,-195'1 H. D. ATWOOD 2,557,067

MULTIPLE COPY TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filedr Sept. 8, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mw Mar I). CRtwoo 8 M wi f'h f June 19, 1951 H. D. ATWOOD 2,557,067

MULTIPLE COPY TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed Sept. 8, 1947 2 Sha ts-Sheet 2 H owl Wr (HttOv-INEY-I patented june 19, 1 95 1 MULTIPLE COPY TYPEWRITING MACHINE Harry D. Atwood, Rockford, 111., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Reconstruction Finance Corporation, Washington, D. 0., a. corporation of the United States Application September 8, 1947, Serial No. 772,785

7 Claims.

This invention relates to the printing of a plurality of copies in a typewriting machine by one or more auxiliary inking ribbons lyin in registry with the main ribbon and disposed between successive sheets of paper in the machine.

A general object of the invention is to provide a new and improved mechanism for the above purpose which is simple and inexpensive in construction, which is adaptable readily to Standard typewriting machines, which is reliable in operation and will withstand the rough usage encountered in such machines, and which is convenient to operate.

Another object is to provide in a typewriting machine a novel means'for separating the paper sheets so as to reduce the frictional dra on the copy-printing machine.

--Another object is to provide a novel arrangement for controlling the automatic advance of the copy-printing machine.

- Another object is to provide in an apparatus of the type indicated a novel swinging frame arrangement for supporting the copy-printing ribbon, which frame is exceptionally rigid in construction, economical to manufacture, and of a form such as not to obstruct the typists view of the work.

Still another object is to provide in such .an apparatus a novel arrangement foryieldably tensioning the copy-printing ribbon so that it is held sufiiciently taut at all times for proper operation and yet is effectually protected from over-tensioning even in the event of careless or. improper operation of the machine.

. Other objects and. advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which I Figure 1 is a fra mentary perspective View of a typewriting machine equipped with a copyprinting mechanism embodying the feature of the present invention.

1. Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical cross section of the machine shown in Fig. 1.

. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 in Fig. 2.

Figs. 4 and 5 are detail fragmentary end-views ofone of the pawl and ratchet mechanisms for advancing one of the copy-printing ribbons, showing such mechanism respectively in its operative and inoperative positions.

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view taken substantially along the line 6-6 in Fig. 2.

Fig. '7 is an enlarged detail view showing the relative dimensions of one of the separator wires and the ribbon which it protects.

While the invention as disclosed in the drawings is embodied in an attachment for a standard typewriter, it will be apparent that the invention is not limited to such use but is applicable to any type of printing machine in which a plurality of copies are printed simultaneously. It is to be understood, therefore, that I aim to cover all modifications and alternative constructions falling within the spirit and scopeof the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

'Referring now to the exemplary embodiment shown in the drawings, the numeral l 0 designates the side members of the carriage of a standard typewriter, rotatably supporting a paper platen ll opposite which the main ribbon I2 is led through guides I3. Step-by-step rotation of the platen II, to effect line-spacing, and lateral shifting of the carriage are efiected in the usual way by actuation of a horizontally swingable lever I4 which is pivoted at 15 and operates a pawl and ratchet mechanism IE to advance the platen.

The copy-printing attachment herein disclosed serves to print additional copies on sheets of paper disposed behind the main ribbon through the use of one or more auxiliary inked ribbons l1 and is included in the attachment and located between the proper sheets of paper on the carriage. For example, if five copies are to be made, the second and fourth sheets of paper are transparent and the ribbons I! and I8 are disposed beyond these sheets respectively. If only one copy is desired in addition to that printed by the main ribbon l2, only the auxiliary ribbon i! would be used and its forward surface would be masked properly to avoid printin on the back of the first sheet.

To support the ribbon I! in printing position as shown in Fig. 1 and for endwise movement longitudinally of the platen II, the opposite ends of the ribbon are wound upon spools l9 and 20 and the intermediate portion extends through inclined guide slots 2| in arms 22., The opposite ends of the other copy-printing ribbon l8 are similarly wound upon spools 23 and 24 and the intermediate portion extends through inclined guide slots 25 in arms 26. The upper ends of the arms 22 and 26 are offset and have slots 22 as shown in Fig. 3 and provide guides for the intermediate portions of the ribbons ll, l8 between the slots 2|, 25 and the spools 20, 24 when both ribbons are to be used as shown in Fig. 2.

A pair of independently swingable frames is provided for carrying the spools and guide arms for the respective copy-printing ribbons ll and [0. Thus, the spools I9, 20 and the guide arms 22 for the ribbon ll are mounted on a swinging frame comprising a pair of side arms 21 (Fig. 1). The spools I9, 20 are revolubly mounted on respective ones of these arms 2! in a manner hereinafter detailed and the guide arms 22 have upstanding fianges on their upper end portions fixed to flanges on depending projections on the forward ends of the respective arms by bolts 23 (see Figs. 1, 2 and 3). Similarly, the spools 23, 24 and guide arms 26 for the other copy-printing ribbon I8 are mounted on a second swinging frame comprising a pair of side arms 29 (Fig. 1.).

Pivotal support for the side arms 2! and 29 of the respective swinging frames is afforded by bushings 39 (Fig. 6) on the carriage frame It. These bushings 30 receive a transversely ex tending rod 3! which is arranged, in a manner hereinafter described, to form an operating connection for the mechanism for advancing the copy-printing ribbons ll, l8. The frame arms 21, 29 have depending lower end portions which are apertured and slipped over the bushings 30 (see also Fig. 1). Spacer collars 32 and washers 33 restrain the arms 21 and 29 against endwise movement on the bushings 30.

In any such swinging frame arrangement for the copy-printing ribbons, difficulty arises in providing a frame which is sufficiently rigid to hold the ribbons accurately in place when in use and yet open enough that the typists view of the work will not be obstructed. In the present instance, that difiiculty has been overcome by providing a special tie rod arrangement for joining the pairs of side arms 21 and 29 in each of the swinging frames. The side arms themselves are fashioned as flanged sheet metal stampings, the fianging serving to reinforce and strengthen them. To form rigid torsion resistant connections between the respective pairs of side arms,

in a complemental indentation 31 in the arm 27.

The tie rod is tubular and tapped to receive a screw 38. A cheap but very strong framework is thus afiorded in which the pair of side arms 21 and 29 is joined in such manner as to prevent any relative movement between the arms making up a pair or, in other words, in such manner as to prevent any twisting or skewing of the swinging frame.

Provision is made for yieldably tensioning each of the copy-printing ribbons I! and i8. For this purpose, each of the guide arms 2| and 26 has a roller 39 (Figs. 2 and 3) journaled on the corresponding arm-securing bolt 28 and the ribbon is led over such roller. Also, on each of these bolts 28 is a snubber assembly comprising a pair of links 40 pivoted on the bolt and having a roller 41 fixed between their outer ends. In each of the snubber assemblies a torsion spring 42 urges the links 40 and their roller 4|, toward the ribbon. Accordingly, the spring urged snubber rollers 4! act to tension the ribbons across the rollers 39. In this way, the intermediate portion of the ribbons extending between the corresponding guide arms is tensioned. Since the tensioning arrangement is yieldable in character, however, breakage of the ribbon is prevented even in the event that the operator inadvertently attempts to reel in the ribbon on both spools at once.

Special provision has also been made for protecting the copy-printing ribbons ll, I8 against displacement frictionally as an incident to feeding the sheets of paper between which the ribbons are disposed. Such tendency to displace the ribbons is aggravated by the fact that there is a long unguided reach of each copy-printing ribbon between its respective pair of supporting arms 22 and 26. Any tendency of the sheets to stick together would, in the absence of a separator arrangement, have to be overcome by the copy-printing ribbons themselves. This tendency exists particularly in continuous form paper. To overcome this difiiculty, the invention contemplates the provision of means to separate the paper sheets in approaching the ribbon and to hold the sheets spaced apart in passing the ribbon.

In the illustrative construction, the separating means associated with the respective ribbons com.- prises a pair. of lines such as Wires or cords 44 and 45 (Figs. 1 and 2) extending along the respective copy-printing ribbons I1 and I8 immediately in advance of the latter. The wires44 and 45 are supported by respective pairs of metal fingers 46 and 47 (Figs. 1 and 3) attached to the guide arms 22 and 26 by screws 48. The wires 44 and 45 are led through holes in the outer ends of the fingers 49 and 4-? and thus stretched beneath the lower, or what may be termed entering, edges of the corresponding copy-printing ribbons. The ends of the wires are wound about and anchored by the screws 48. The fingers 46, 41 are made of resilient metal and serve to tension the separator wires in an endwise direction. As best shown in Fig. 7, the separator wires are made of slightly greater diameter than the thickness of the corresponding copy-printing ribbons. Thus, if the ribbon is 0.0035 inch in thickness, the separator wire may be made 0.010 inch in diameter. By so relating the sizes of the separators and ribbons, the sheets of paper are effectually parted so that if they have been stuck together, they will not engage the lower edge of the ribbon and tend to .pull the ribbon upward as the platen is revolved to feed the paper. The separators are, however, thin enough as compared to the ribbons so that the sheets are permitted to touch the opposite faces of the ribbons to effectuate the necessary printing. In this way, frictional drag on the ribbons is minimized without interfering with their use.

To accommodate the copy-printing attachment for installation on a particular typewriter, it is sometimes necessary to adjust the position of the copy-printing ribbons l1, [8 on their supporting frames in a vertical direction (as viewed in Fig. 2) in order to bring them into accurate registry with :the main ribbon [3. For this purpose, the guide arms .22 and 26 are slotted, as indicated at 28 in Fig. -1, as are the overlying portions of the fingers 46, 41. Hence, by loosening the bolts 28, the guide arms are freed to move endwise a limited distance and thus adjust the position of the ribbons ll, l8. After adjustment, the bolts 28 are retightened. Since the separator wire supporting fingers 46, 4'! are fixed to the guide arms, they move with the latter so that the proper spacing of the separator wires and ribbons is not impaired by the adjustment noted.

The ribbon take-up spools I9, 20 and 23, 24 are all of the same construction and accordingly, a description of one will suffice for all. The spool 24 comprises two telescoped sleeves 49 and 50 having outturned flanges i and 52 on their respective outer ends which constitute the sides of the spool. The ribbon I1 is wound on the sleeve 50 and this latter sleeve is telescoped over the sleeve 49. Protrusions 53 on the inner sleeve 49 hold the outer sleeve 50 frictionally in place on the former. The spool 24 is fixed to a shaft 54 rotatably journaled in a bushing 55 pressed in the frame side arm Zl. The shaft 54 has a squared inner end slipped into a, correspondingly shaped hole in the closed inner end of the sleeve 49 and a nut 56 is threaded on the end of the shaft to hold the sleeve to it. The copy-printing ribbons can readily be replaced by pulling the spool apart, that is, by pulling the sleeve 50 off of the sleeve 49 and then pushing into place another spool sleeve 50 having a fresh ribbon on it.

The herein disclosed mechanism is arranged to accomplish a step-by-step endwise advance of each of the copy-printing ribbons ll, l8 automatically and as an incident to the operation of the line-spacing or carriage return mechanism.

cross section and the bars 51, 58 slide along the inner faces of the upstanding walls of the same, being held against such upstanding Walls on the guides 59 by lugs 65 on the latter which are turned over the upper edges of the corresponding slide bars. The inner ends of the slide bars 51, 58 are pivotally connected to depending links 5! which are, in turn, fixed to the transverse rod 3|. This latter rod thus joins the slides 5i, 58 so as to cause them to move in unison. The forward end of the left hand slide bar 57 has a depending L-shaped extension 62 thereon (Fig. l) which is pivotally connected by a link 53 with the pawl i6 that is actuated by the lever 14. Accordingly, when the lever is swung to the right to advance the platen H, the slide bars 51, 58 are thrust inwardly and when the lever l4 springs back to its initial position, the slide bars are also returned to their initial or outwardly projected positions.

Reciprocation of the slide bar 51 is used to impart a unidirectional step-by-step advancing movement to the spools it and 23 at the left hand end of the attachment and, similarly, re-' ciprocation of the other slide bar 58 is used to impart a step-by-step advancing movement to the other pair of spools Zil and 24. For this purpose, a pair of pawls 64, 65 is pivotally mounted on the slide bar 5'! and a similar pair 7 operative positions shown. Cooperating with each of these pawls is a ratchet wheel 69 (Figs. 3, 4, and 5) fixed to the outboard end of the corresponding one of the spool shafts 54. Also associated with each of these ratchet wheels is a spring urged check pawl l0 which prevents reverse rotation of the same. These check pawls are pivotally mounted on generally cup-shaped sheet metal closure members ll fixed to the outer sides of the corresponding frame arms 27 and 29 and arranged to enclose the ratchet mechanisms. Upon reference to Fig. 3, it will be observed that a spring catch l2 fixed on the guide member 59 engages the lower edge of the housing ll to hold the corresponding swinging frame releasably in its operative or lowered position.

In order to accomplish reversible endwise movement of the copy-printing ribbons l1, t8, the ratchet mechanisms have been arranged so as to revolve-each of the spools in a direction to reel in the ribbon. Accordingly, it is necessary alternativel to disable the ratchet mechanisms for one or the other of the spools for each ribbon in view of the fact that they both tend to reel in the ribbon. In the illustrative construction (see Figs. 3, 4, and 5), this is accomplished by a cam member 13 fixed to a pin 14 journaled in a bushing 15 in the cover member H. The outer end of each of the pins 14 has an operating knob it on it. The cams l3 themselves are pressed from sheet metal and each includes a lobe or projection. ll operable to lift the check pawl is out of engagement with a ratchet wheel as well as a flanged guard 78 arranged to overlie a portion of the ratchet wheel and thus prevent engagement of the main pawl. By turning the knob it, the disabling cam '53 can be turned from the position of Fig. 4 to that of Fig. 5 or vice versa. When in the position of Fig. 4;, the pawls are permitted engagement with theratchet wheels 59 and are thus effective to accomplish its advance. On the other hand, when the disabling cam is shifted to the alternative position shown in Fig. 5, it disables the pawls against engagement with the ratchet wheel so that the corresponding spool can turn without impediment for unreeling ribbon from it. Although the spool from which ribbon is being unwound can turn more or less freely, the snubber mechanism heretofore described retains a suitable tension in the active portion of the ribbon extending across the frame.

With the arrangement described just above, it will be seen that the typist can turn the knobs 76 to condition each of the copy-printing ribbons ll, I3 for endwise advance in one direction or the other, thus making repeated use of the ribbons until the ink on them is substantially exhausted. In view of the fact that there is no interlock between the knobs it for the spools at the opposite end of each ribbon, there is some danger that an inexperienced user may inadvertently set both ofthe spools, for a single ribbon, to reel in the ribbon. Damage in such case is prevented by the yieldable tensioning mechanism for the ribbon since the spring urged snubber rolls 4| can move far enough to free a substantial amount of ribbon, in the event that an attempt is made to reel in both of its portions at once so that a ribbon will not be ruptured before the typist discovers the improper setting of the ratchet control knobs it.

The general mode of operation of the apparatus will, by now, be clear. When it is desired to use both ribbons, both ribbon supporting arms are swung down to the lowered or operative position indicated in Fig. 2. The knobs it are turned so that one is in its on position (indicated by legend on casing '5! adjacent the knob as shown in Fig. 1) and the other, for the same ribbon, in its off position. The sheets of paper are inserted into the machine in the usual way by revolving the platen H. As the copy sheets pass the ribbons l1, [8, they are parted by the separator wires 44, d5 so that the ribbons are not pulled out of place by sticking sheets. Thereafter, the typewriter is operated in the usual manner. Each actuation of the line spacing lever l4 causes the pawl and ratchet mechanisms to advance the spools which are functioning as takeup spools so that the ribbons i7, 58 are advanced endwise step-by-step as the work progresses.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a typewriting machine having a laterally shiftable carriage carrying a rotary platen for advancing a plurality of sheets of paper in a direction circumferential of the platen upon rotation of the latter, the combination of a frame, a copy-printing ribbon, a pair of guide arms disposed respectively at opposite ends of said frame, means for adjustably fixing said guide arms to said frame, means including said guide arms for supporting said ribbon with an intermediate portion thereof stretched longitudinally of the platen between said guide arms, means supporting said frame for swinging movement between two alternative positions in which said intermediate portion of the ribbon is alternatively disposed adjacent the platen to lie sandwiched between a pair of sheets on the latter and elevated out of operative relation with respect to the platen, a separator line, and means fixed to said guide arms for stretching said 1ine along the entering edge of said intermediate portion of the ribbon, whereby a predetermined relation between the separator line and intermediate portion of the ribbon is maintained irrespective of the position of adjustment of said guide arms on said frame.

2. In a typewriting' machine having a rotary platen for advancing a plurality of sheets of paper in a direction circumferential of the platen upon rotation of the latter, the combination of a copy-printing ribbon, means including a pair of guide arms located adjacent the opposite ends of said platen for supporting said ribbon with a long intermediate portion thereol stretched between said guide arms for interposition of said intermediate portion of the ribbon between adjacent ones of a plurality of sheets on the platen, a separator wire, and means inciudilig a pair of resilient metal fingers fixed to respective ones of said guide arms for holding said separator wire stretched taut in a position parallel with and spaced slightly in advance of the entering edge of said intermediate portion of the ri bon to minimize the frictional drag of the sheets of paper on said entering edge of the ribbon.

3. In a typewriting machine having a rotary platen, the combination of a pair of spools mounted respectively adjacent the opposite ends of the platen, a pair of apertured guides disposed adjacent respective ones of said spools, a copy-printing ribbon led through said guides with its intermediate portion extending along the platen between said guides and with its end portions wound on respective ones of said spools, guide rollers disposed between each of said guides and the adjacent spool over which the ribbon is led, second rollers pivotally mounted to swing about the axes of the first mentioned rollers and 8 over which the ribbon is also led, and spring means for yieldably urging said second rollers to swing into engagement with the ribbon to ten: sion the portion of the latter between said guides.

4. In a typewriting machine having a laterally shiftable paper carriage carrying a rotary platen, the combination of a pair of arms disposed at opposite ends of the carriage in parallel relation, means supporting said arms for swinging movement on the carriage about an axis passing through their rear end portions and paralleling the platen, means on the forward portion of the arms for supporting a copy-printing ribbon in a position to extend along the platen when the arms are lowered, a tie rod extending between the rear portions of said arms, the ends of said rod having heads of polygonal cross section thereon and said arms having complementally shaped indentations receiving said heads, and screws fixing said headed ends of said tie rods to said arms to rigidly join the latter.

5. In a typewriting machine having a rotary platen for advancing a plurality of sheets of paper in a direction circumferential of the platen upon rotation of the latter, the combination of a copy-printing ribbon, a support mounting said ribbon with a long intermediate portion thereof stretched between two points adjacent the opposite ends of the platen for interposition of said intermediate portion of the ribbon between adjacent ones of a pair of sheets on the platen, two resilient metal fingers adjacent opposite ends of the platen fixed at one of their ends to said support and projecting therefrom to points beyond said ribbon portion and in the plane thereof, and a separator line of a slightly greater diameter than the thickness of the ribbon stretched between the free ends of said fingers and disposed to extend along the entering edge of said intermediate portion of the ribbon to separate adjacent sheets advanced by the platen and prior to their contact with opposite sides of the ribbon, said fingers being flexible laterally along the ribbon and stressed to maintain said line taut.

6. In a typewriting machine having a rotary platen for receiving a plurality of sheets of paper, the combination of a copy-printing ribbon, a support mounting said ribbon with a long intermediate portion thereof stretched between two points adjacent the opposite ends of the platen for interposition of said intermediate portion of the ribbon between adjacent ones of a pair of sheets on the platen, two fingers adjacent opposite ends of the platen rigidly fixed at one of their ends to said support and projecting therefrom to points beyond said ribbon portion and in the plane thereof, and a separator line of a slightly greater diameter than the thickness of the ribbon stretched between the free ends of said fingers and disposed to extend along the entering edge of said intermediate portion of the ribbon and between such pair of sheets to reduce the frictional drag of the paper on the ribbon, at least one of said fingers being laterally flexible and composed of a resilient material stressed for flexing in a direction longitudinally of said line to maintain the latter taut.

7. In a typewriting machine having a rotary platen for advancing a plurality of sheets of paper in a direction circumferential of the platen upon rotation of the latter, the combination of a copy-printing ribbon, a support mounting said ribbon with a long intermediate portion thereof stretched between two points adjacent the opposite ends of the platen for interposition of said intermediate portion of the ribbon between adjacent ones of a pair of sheets on the platen, a separator line disposed to extend along the entering edge of said intermediate portion of the ribbon to separate adjacent sheets advanced by the platen and prior to their contact with opposite sides of the ribbon, and two fingers rigidly fixed at one Of their ends to said support and projecting therefrom to points beyond said intermediate portion of the ribbon and beyond the ends thereof for connection with the respective ends of said separator line, at least one of said fingers being adapted to flex in a direction longitudinally of said line for maintaining the line taut.

HARRY D. ATWOOD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

